


Vacation

by hyacinthis



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 21:33:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5841775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyacinthis/pseuds/hyacinthis





	Vacation

Alan had fought harder than Eric had ever imagined. He thought, for a while, that maybe Alan was just going through a rough patch and that he would soon be better. He would soon heal himself enough to get out of bed and then spend a few more years with their two daughters. Eric was proud of his sickly husband, juggling sickness and two children wasn't easy. But Eric was always there to help.

Eric truly believed that Alan would make it through a few more years. He only stopped believing that when he came home from work, excited to have his girls rush to the doors and greet him. Instead when he opened the door, he was greeted by wails and sobs from the bedroom upstairs. Eric felt his heart stop. No…

Eric dropped his briefcase and rushed upstairs, finding both daughters huddled in bed with Alan who laid unbreathing. Eric quickly rushed in, taking his children into his arms and rushing them out before handling anything else. He set them in their room, soothing them until they were calm enough to explain what had happened.

According to the girls, Alan had gotten up after Eric left to make breakfast for the girls, per usual, then went back upstairs to rest. After eating and watching their morning cartoons, they rushed upstairs to sit with their father and read. After cooking lunch, Alan gave them their vitamins, took his medicine, and went back upstairs to lay down. The girls had gone upstairs a while later only to find Alan in bed, dead. Erica was the first to discover Alan and quickly jumped into hysterics. Sage toddles her way upstairs after her big sister and became upset from not only her sister crying but also her unresponsive father.

This was straight out of one of Eric’s nightmares. One of the girls finding Alan dead in his sleep. He closed his eyes, sighing as he tried so hard to sooth the girls. Eventually the girls settled, becoming occupied with themselves which gave Eric enough time to saw just what had happened to Alan. 

He got up, leaving the girls in their room as he walked into Alan’s. He walked quietly, as if trying not to wake him. He felt tears well up in his eyes as he sat himself next to Alan on the large bed. Alan’s eyes were wide open and glassy, his little hands rested on his chest as if he had been clutching onto it. How coincidental that he died just after taking the medicine that was supposed to subdue the horrible effects of the Thorns. Eric was quiet for a moment, thinking as tear ran down his cheeks. He would have to tell Alan’s parents and help plan a funeral and do so many things that Eric wasn’t sure he could handle.

Exhaling shakily, he leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Alan’s cold forehead, murmuring his last, “I love you,” before going downstairs to call for an ambulance.

When the news got out that Eric’s husband was dead, all her got from that point on was apologies. His brother’s wife, Evanna, who knew Alan and could be considered one of his good friends, sent him a bouquet of flowers and offered to help with the funeral in anyway possible. Eric became even more familiar with Alan’s mother, Alice, and   
his older sister, Alina. Alan’s father didn’t bother to help with the funeral and, in Eric’s opinion, it was for the better. So most days it was Eric, Sage, and Erica at Alice’s large mansion in the living room planning out the funeral. 

Over the course of it all, Eric felt sick from all the constant sympathy. He missed his husband and was distraught, that was no lie. But with each apology and phone call about Alan, he found himself feeling worse and worse. He didn’t need all of that sympathy, it was too much for him. He just wanted to pretend like none of it even happened. Of course, that wouldn’t happen with Erica waking up in the night and rushing into Eric’s bedroom, crying that she had had a nightmare about Alan. Things wouldn’t be normal for a long while, Eric knew that.

A few days before the funeral, while Eric was walking around the venue that the funeral was being held at, he finally got a call from his older sister, who he hadn’t told the news about Alan. Still, he had a feeling she already knew. Word traveled fast between the two siblings that cared about him. 

“Hello?” He answered gruffly, walking outside to take the call.

“You sound horrible,” his sister’s voice immediately answered. He closed his eyes, biting his lip. It was nice to hear from her. “How are you holding up?”

“”m holdin’ on,” Eric sighed. “”m holdin’ on as best as I can.”

“How are the girls?”

“They’re doin’ the same as I am,”

There was a pause for a second over both lines, the two siblings silent. 

“How’d ye find out?” Eric finally spoke up.

“Evanna and Jamie called.” Charity answered, sighing. “I’m sorry I can’t make it to the funeral.”

“‘S fine,” he answered with a slow sigh, running his hand through his hair. 

“Do you need anything?”

“Dunno. I think ‘m fine for the most part,”

Again, the two siblings were silent. Eric exhaled shakily, closing his eyes. He didn’t know if he’d be able to make it through Alan’s funeral. 

“Eric, I want you to come to France with the girls for a while,” Charity said softly. 

“What? Why? We’re fine here,”

“To clear your head,” the older Slingby answered. “The girls need it, you need it.”

Eric was silent.

“We’ll all go out to the summer house out in Étretat.” Charity tried, adjusting her glasses as she leaned against the wall. “Please, I’d feel better knowing you were here and alright.”

Eric sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. God.. He couldn’t say no to her, he’d feel to bad. He bit down on his lower lip hard and shook his head, eyes still pulled firmly shut.

“Alright. I’ll be there a few days after the funeral.”

The funeral hit hard on Eric. Alan’s funeral hit so hard that the blonde packed up his stuff, loaded up his toddler and two-year-old, and climbed on board to a flight to France. Not only did he and Alan honeymoon there, but his sister also lived there with her opera star partner. He sat on the flight for almost three hours, his youngest daughter, Sage, in between his oldest, Erica, and himself. Both girls had fluffy hair that was a little lighter than Eric’s. They had Alan’s soft, emerald colored eyes and Erica was even blessed to get his tiny nose. Sometimes it hurt when Eric looked at them. He saw Alan more in Erica than he did Sage, but he still saw him in them nonetheless. 

Erica had spent the first hour of the flight looking out of the window and looking at everything there was to see. They had never been on a flight before. After that, while Sage slept peacefully between them, Erica insisted that Eric read to her the plane provided magazine until she fell asleep. Eric tried for a while to fall asleep but, not only were the seats uncomfortable, he just couldn't close his eyes for very long. He couldn’t help but see Alan every time he did. Glassy eyes open, lips pal and closed, hands clutched to his chest. He missed his husband more than he could imagine. He didn’t expect Alan, who had been getting so much better, to die. He expected him to be around for a few more years. He felt his chest tighten and his throat swell. Sighing, he opened his eyes again and stared blankly at the seat in front of him.

Eric was more than grateful when the plane touched down in Yvetot. Erica had woken up during the land and looked around, blonde hair sticking up in every direction. She held Eric’s hand all the way through the airport and even helped carry luggage until they got to Charity’s car. 

The redheaded Slingby grinned at her youngest brother and her nieces, walking over to him and hugging Eric tightly. She kissed his head as Lorraine walked over and greeted Erica, leaning down and picking her up. Sage still slept in Eric’s arms, head rested against Eric’s shoulder. After putting in the carseats, Eric buckled both girls in then got in himself. Charity and Lorraine sat at the front of the car, Charity driving and Lorraine sitting in the passenger seat, looking over music she was given a month or so ago for a part in Madama Butterfly.

Eric was quiet, still holding Erica’s tiny hand as Sage slept. Eventually, Erica fell asleep and gave Charity time to start questioning her little brother.

“How are you, Eric?” Charity asked quietly. 

“I.. Could be better..” He murmured. “But I shouldn’t say that, dun wanna jinx it for myself..”

Lorraine glanced over at him from the passenger’s seat and offered him a small smile. She reached out, patting his shoulder gently.

“Je'm fier de vous, Eric, je sais que cela doit être difficile sur vous.” She said softly. “I’m proud of you, Eric,” she repeated in English. “I know this must be difficult on you.”

“For you,” Charity corrected her girlfriend quietly. Lorraine nodded, making note of the correction.

“Did he go peacefully?” Lorraine asked.

“Y’know I, uh,” Eric cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. “I don’t know. I wasn’t there when it happened.”

Charity glanced at her brother in the rear view mirror, frowning. 

“You weren’t there?” Eric felt a pang in his heart at his sister’s question.

“No I.. I was workin’,” he was quiet, looking down at his calloused hand holding his daughter’s much smaller one. “Evanna didn’t tell you?”

“No..” Charity murmured.

“The girls found him.” Eric whispered, voice breaking. 

Charity decided to not touch the subject further. For the rest of the hour long ride, Eric, Lorraine, and Charity caught up. Charity and Lorraine both spoke about work, Charity occasionally complaining about the new nurses that the hospital she worked at hired. She had done a few big surgeries that were successful and overall was proud of her doctoring skills. Eric was proud of her, too. He remembered the days that she was in between jobs, trying to take care of her younger siblings, and also trying hard to make it through nursing school. Charity graduated with her bachelor’s degree around the same time Eric was graduating kindergarten. Then, Charity went back to college get her master’s. 

While Charity has been working hard in the hospital, over the span of the past four years, Lorraine had been in Pelléas et Mélisande, Roméo et Juliette, and Grisélidis. Eric listened intently, eyes closed and head leaned back. He couldn’t imagine being an opera star like Lorraine was. He wouldn’t even be able to get on the stage. She spoke of rehearsals and the other actors she worked with. Up until Eric met Lorraine, he didn’t realize how difficult stage life could be. Between rehearsals, costuming, auditions, the months and months of preparation, Eric didn’t think he’d be able to handle such a life.

Eric let out a quiet sigh when they finally pulled up to the large summer house. He got the girls out first and carried them inside. He then went back out and collected their luggage. He set them in the room they were staying in, tucked the girls in, the stepped out into the hallway. He sighed, rubbing his face as he walked downstairs.

“You know,” Charity started once he got down the stairs. “We have plenty of rooms for you and the girls to have their own.”

“I know,” he answered. “But Eric’s been havin’ nightmares lately and I don’t want her waking up scared in a place she doesn’t know.”

Charity nodded as both of them slowly sat down on the couch. Charity leaned up, kissing her brother’s cheek before rubbing his shoulder gently. Eric sighed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. All of it felt unreal. Like he was just floating in some never ending subconscious. Maybe he was in a coma and all of this was apart of his dream. Maybe he’d wake up soon.

“Lorraine asleep?” Eric asked, Charity nodding.

“She’s got a rehearsal early tomorrow morning, she wanted to go ahead and get to bed.”

Eric nodded, slumping on the couch a little and leaning his head on Charity’s shoulder. He closed his eyes, sighing quietly. Charity reached up, gently scratching his scalp before kissing his head gently. 

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly. 

Eric bit down hard on his lip. It was obvious Eric was taking it all hard. He didn’t participate much in the conversation in the car, he was quieter than usual, he just had a generally sad aura about him. When Eric didn’t immediately answer and instead stared blankly at the fireplace, Charity shifted some and held her brother gently to her chest. She slowly pet his long, blonde hair and rocked him slowly.

Eric bit down on his lower lip, wrapping his arms around Charity’s middle as he listened to her steadily beating heart. It was different than Alan’s. Alan’s was never steady. It would beat twice, stop, beat once, stop, beat twice, stop, stop, beat once, beat twice, stop. It always made Eric anxious when he rested his head on Alan’s chest and refrained from doing so. Charity’s was steady, always beating just when Eric thought it would. It was reassuring, calming even. 

Eric hadn’t even noticed the tears that had started welling up in his eyes until Charity carefully took off his tinted glasses. Eric’s jaw trembled as he tried with every ounce of his strength to hold back his tears. He had to admit, he hadn’t cried much through planning the funeral planning and the funeral process. He told himself that he had to stay strong for Erica and Sage’s sakes. He couldn’t just lose himself like he expected he would.

Tears started to run down Eric’s cheeks, eventually getting caught and lost in his scruff. He inhaled shakily, burrowing his face into Charity’s chest as his back heaved with silent sobs. He missed Alan so much, it wasn’t fair that he was taken away so soon. He still had the girls to take care of with Eric, he had to watch them grow up. Alan was supposed to be there for much, much longer. Eric sniffled, hiccuping quietly as he nuzzled his sister’s chest. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair.

“I miss him, Cherry,” came Eric’s muffled, slurred voice. “I miss’m so much..”

“I know,” she sighed, rocking him. “I know, Eric..”


End file.
